


Pain, Unpredictable

by Yamino_Yama



Category: IDOLiSH7 (Video Game)
Genre: Birthday Presents, Bonding, Flirting, Gift Giving, Kissing, M/M, Mentioned IDOLiSH7, Mentioned Riku, Minami's Birthday, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-05
Updated: 2019-06-05
Packaged: 2020-04-08 12:21:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19107010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yamino_Yama/pseuds/Yamino_Yama
Summary: ZOOL is eager to celebrate Minami on his birthday, but Touma worries Minami's own premonition might spoil the day. Come night, Minami has a few new predictions that he's sure, with Torao's company, will come to fruition.





	Pain, Unpredictable

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is a Minami b'day fic I decided to post early ^_^
> 
> I've written Touma (with Ioriku) fics before, but besides a few lines here and there, this is my first time writing the other members of ZOOL!! I'm sooo happy that they're getting such shine in the story (part4). A group with great songs and development, they deserve it. This fic starts in Touma POV and switches to Mina for the Toramina part (at the *** mark). I hope I did all these good badboys justice lol I only wish I could have made this fic longer, but alas time ><  
> P.S. While I didn't include this fic in the Watchdog series, there is a reference to one of those fics, one titled “RTI.” Give that and the previous fics a read if you're interested and/or curious about the other meaning for RTI that Touma mentions ^_~
> 
> Happy Birthday, Mina!! I'm glad you rep the snake (my Zodiac animal ^^) and I wish you and the rest of ZOOL all the happiness in the world.
> 
> Thank you in advance, dear readers, for kudos! Feel free to comment as I appreciate knowing your thoughts (and I love to answer with more thanks :D). Now, on to the story!

Touma finished arranging gift tissue around his present, making the colored paper fan out from the gift bag like petals, but his mind wasn't on the task. His thoughts were far away after what Mina had said last night. Picturing him gazing up at the night sky, Touma recalled the words that Mina had spoken and enabled to float around him all day despite being so ominously heavy. “It's in the stars. Trouble's coming.”

“We just won't let it,” Touma said aloud, uncaring that no one was in the room to hear him. It was Mina's birthday and the whole lot of them had had enough trouble for a lifetime. The universe _had_ to give them a moment of peace after everything, right?

Touma groaned one last time before pushing his fears away. He pulled out his cell and scrolled through his photos, looking for one in particular. Sent by Riku, it was a group shot of IDOLiSH7 with their shining center sitting right where he belonged. All of the members were like points on a star, with Iori attached to Riku at its core. Touma smiled, noticing again how Riku clutched the necklace that hung around his neck. It was impossible to see, what with Riku's hand in the way, but Touma knew the necklace bore the initials RTI. Road to Infinity to some, but for him . . .

“I'll see you soon, Riku.” Uncertainties aside, there was one bit of good news that he was sure Mina's premonition wasn't changing. “At the next live, I'll be there.” He thought of all his group members, how much this meant to them all, and how proud he was not just to get invited to a grand stage, but to get the opportunity to stand on it with all of them. With a smile, he amended his promise, “ _We'll_ be there.”

With that, he stashed his phone away and headed out to meet the others.

 

#

 

Everything was going smooth. Since it was dinnertime when the group met up, they all went for ramen with Touma treating them all. He winced when paying the bill, considering that Mina ate twice the amount of the others put together, but he had no regrets over it. Mina was beaming, not seeming at all bothered by the words he'd uttered last night, and Touma wanted things to stay that way. Outside, in front of Zero Arena, the lot went about offering their gifts.

“I made you a mix tape,” Haru declared proudly, handing over a CD to Mina. “It's got, like, the best music ever on it. I thought it could help you with composing _and_ give you something awesome to listen to. Work and play. Great, right?”

“That _is_ great,” said Mina. “I'll think of you whenever I listen to it, and I'm sure it'll help me to create music worthy of that cool attitude of yours.”

Haru grinned and Touma couldn't help but move to ruffle his hair.

“Hey, quit,” Haru ordered immediately and Touma did, but he didn't miss the blush and small smile on Haru's face that spoke louder than words.

“You go next, Touma,” Tora said.

Touma felt a pang of annoyance, but thought better of letting it be known. There was something awkward in Tora's posture, a nervousness in his eyes, that told Touma it would be better to appease than argue. So far the day was going fine. He didn't want to trigger whatever bad luck was waiting to glue itself to them and ruin Mina's day.

“All right, this is from me,” Touma said, holding up his gift bag. “Happy Birthday, Mina.”

Mina tilted his head, curious, as he pulled out Touma's present. “A scarf? It's beautiful. What a lovely pattern.”

“Yeah,” Touma agreed, scratching his head nervously. “I saw it in a shop's window and the light pinks and beige in it reminded me of you.”

“I'll treasure it,” Minami said before turning to Torao expectantly.

“M-mine isn't anything too special. It's something I've offered before. A hotel reservation. But this time . . . just for us two.”

Touma's mouth almost fell open but Haru spoke first.

“A hotel reservation?” he shouted. “What kind of gift is that? What are the two of you going to do in a boring room by yourselves?”

It was obvious that Haru was missing the point but none of them tried to enlighten him. Touma was just in disbelief that Tora had the nerve to offer such a thing, here and now. At the same time, he thought that it was about time. The two had been making eyes at each other forever.

“Thank you,” Mina said, narrowing his eyes now at Tora in a way that made Touma's face heat.

“You actually like it?” Haru asked in disbelief. “Torao got a trip to an amusement park. Isn't that way better?”

“Depends on the kind of fun you're looking to have,” Mina answered. Touma could practically see the question marks above Haru's head, but his eyes stayed mostly on Mina as he smiled radiantly, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear. “There really is going to be trouble tonight.”

Touma started, understanding hitting him full-force. “Is _that_ what you meant?” he asked. Was _that_ what he'd been worried over?

Flabbergasted, he watched as Mina brought a fist to his lips and giggled.

Touma sighed and wound up smiling too. This was Mina after all. Couldn't be helped. He and the mysterious, the magical, went hand-in-hand.

 

***

 

Once night fell, the group split with Minami and Torao going their own way. They walked with too much distance between them for Minami's liking, too much silence, but he could sense that Torao wasn't conscious of it. It was clear that he was thinking ahead as he checked them into the hotel, offered Minami a shower and took one himself once Minami was finished. Minami listened to the water run as he dried his hair, like a snake's relentless hiss mixed with the platter of rain, the sky's tears. Torao got dressed without looking at him and Minami considered whether he'd misjudged the meaning behind this outing.

It was only after room service had brought them drinks and the two had taken enough sips to mellow that Torao pulled a gift-wrapped box from his pocket.

“I said the reservation was your present, but I had something more,” he explained, handing Minami the box. “Happy Birthday.”

Minami studied the box a while longer before untying the ribbon. To Torao, it might have looked like he was just contemplating whether to open it, or admiring the ribbons that matched Torao's hair and eyes, but Minami had been trying to steady himself, keep his hands from shaking as a violent happiness shook him. Inside the box, Minami found a chain necklace with a small gold tiger emblem dangling from it. The tiger stood proud, feet planted and mouth open in a furious roar, although one paw was raised, reminding Minami of the welcoming cat pose.

“It's cute,” he said, raising it to the light before moving to fasten the clasp behind his neck.

“Here,” Torao said, jumping up from his seat. “Let me.”

Minami brushed his hair aside while Torao joined the two ends of the chain. “I didn't expect another gift, let alone jewelry,” Minami admitted. “What made you go with a necklace?”

Torao shrugged, but then replied, “Touma is always going on and on about them. I think he likes having things around his neck.”

Minami chuckled. “That's probably true. Collared but never leashed. That's our leader.”

“Yeah, he's a pretty cool guy.”

“And so are you,” Minami said, watching Torao look surprised and feeling amused. “Is it such a shock? I'm always telling you how amazing I think you are.”

“'Shock' isn't quite the word. I mean, it's something I hear all the time, it just sounds different when you're the one saying it.”

“I guess my voice is unique.”

“That's not what I mean, and you know it.”

“Then say what you mean.”

Minami waited but Torao looked like he was getting out of the notion to talk about himself, already closing the lid on the truths before they could bubble free. But that lid wasn't screwed or nailed down yet, Minami could tell by how Torao fidgeted. He could still open up. Minami decided to give him another chance.

“Stand up,” Minami ordered. “I'm going to tell you your future.” Minami stood with him, hands placed delicately on Torao's cheeks, although contact wasn't necessary.

Torao stared at him, trusting as a child and Minami smiled softly as he stated, “I see a boy that was once afraid after being hurt, standing brave and strong on stage with three other once broken individuals beside him, a tiger no longer afraid to show his stripes, the hero not only ZOOL but the whole world's been waiting for. I know you invited me here for a reason, so don't turn back now; face forward, keep walking even when storming winds rage around you so that you can reach that stage and stand where you belong.”

Torao made a sound between a laugh and a sob, eyes misted as he finally gazed at Minami head on.

“Me, a hero,” Torao said wistfully. “Maybe, with you guys beside me, I can see it too.” He hesitated before asking. “So you can see that far into the future, huh?”

“I don't think that vision was so distant, but sure, near or far.”

Torao gave a coy look. “So what will happen in the near-future? Say, one minute.”

Minami smirked as he whispered, “I'm going to kiss you.” He moved in close, wrapping his arms around Torao's torso. “Of course, you have a chance to send us on a different course. You can tell me not to, and I won't.”

Torao returned the embrace, although his hands were hesitant. Their eyes locked, Torao gazing down at him longingly, Minami witnessed firsthand the vulnerability beneath Torao's tough (and hot) exterior, and knew it wouldn't do to push forward nor back away. A step forward might seem like a challenge, a form of dominance on an already manipulated soul, a step back, preconditioned rejection and a reason for him to retreat, so Minami waited, still and patient, for a bold wildcat that had been abused to realize this snake didn't intend to bite him.

Minami's heart leapt when he felt Torao's hands tighten near his waist, pulling him closer. “I think this is something that can't be changed, something I wouldn't _want_ to change.”

That was what Minami needed to hear. Without hesitation, Minami planted his lips against Torao's, parting them with his tongue though not forcing his way in yet. He could feel Torao's movements go from wavering to playful, and Minami gave his bottom lip a frisky lick in return before easing back.

Torao's eyes opened slowly, staying heavy-lidded. He gave a husky laugh, a lazy smile, as he said, “I think I'm falling in love with you.”

Minami giggled. “Took you long enough to notice.”

“Did you see that in your predictions too?”

“Not telling.”

“Well, at least tell me what else you see for tonight, besides that first kiss.”

Minami smirked at the word 'first.' It seemed like it didn't take reading the universe's signs for the both of them to know what was in store, but that didn't stop Minami from playing along. “Hmm . . . I see more kisses, our body heat climbing, and quite a few buttons coming undone.” He plucked at Torao's top shirt button as a demonstration.

Torao took Minami's hand and kissed. “I can see truth in that.” He grinned, adding, “As long as you don't predict broken hearts.”

Minami said nothing. The light feeling he'd felt until now became a sinking one. Rather than talk, Minami kissed Torao again, deeper than before, allowing their tongues to flick together and generate a spark. He was pleased that Torao seemed to forget his last words, any words, as he pulled Minami to the bed. Considering the time and place, Minami decided he would let Torao's statement go without acknowledgment, without voicing what he considered his ability's biggest fault—

A broken heart was the one thing he found unpredictable.

 

END

 


End file.
